Re-signing DT Collins a bargain buy for Bears

The Bears made a big foray into free agency with offensive additions. On Day 3 of the shopping season, they turned their attention to the defense.

General manager Phil Emery vowed to be deliberate, and he made a frugal buy Thursday when the team re-signed defensive tackle Nate Collins. Collins is the only player with experience behind starting tackles Henry Melton and Stephen Paea. Matt Toeaina will be released.

Collins was a restricted free agent, and the Bears opted not to tender him at the low amount of $1.323 million, making him unrestricted. They wanted him back after a solid season, and he signed for the minimum of $630,000 after exploring options.

Collins, 25, provides needed depth, and he showed promise as an interior pass rusher. He appeared in nine games and made 13 tackles with three quarterback pressures. He played for new defensive coordinator Mel Tucker in Jacksonville.

Call for arms: Re-signing with the Bears remains a viable option for backup quarterback Jason Campbell, as the team has expressed interest in retaining him. But the Bears are not his only option.

The Browns and Jets also have interest in Campbell, according to league sources. Both would offer Campbell a better opportunity to play because their starters, Brandon Weeden and Mark Sanchez, respectively, are not entrenched. The Jets recently signed David Garrard, and they also have been linked to Kevin Kolb, whom the Cardinals are expected to release.

Matt Cassel signed with the Vikings on Thursday after the Chiefs released him. The Vikings also had been talking with Campbell. The market remains flush with possibilities, including Rex Grossman, Josh McCown, Luke McCown, Matt Leinart, Brady Quinn, Jordan Palmer, Josh Johnson and Byron Leftwich.

Extra points: The contracts for left tackle Jermon Bushrod and tight end Martellus Bennett use $4.995 million in salary-cap space for 2013. Bushrod received an $11 million signing bonus in his $35.965 million deal, but he has a low base salary of $715,000 for this season. His base salary climbs to $5 million in 2014 and tops out at $6.6 million in 2017. His cap number for this season is $3.015 million. … Linebacker Nick Roach continued a visit with the Raiders on Thursday, while the Dolphins announced they had wrapped up a meeting with right guard Lance Louis.